Food for Thought

‘Twas a dark and stormy night in Detroit which preceded a long-awaited dawn, a dawn that brought with it the promise of fruitful work and profound enlightenment. With hunger allayed by an expertly prepared breakfast comprising delicious oatmeal alongside satisfying fruits and yogurts, the Gannon Detroiters departed once more to work the earth and move the world one more millionth of an inch towards a greater degree of food equity.

Upon arrival, our happy group was greeted by the welcome prospect of a concerted effort to reclaim an overgrown greenhouse by diligently scouring it of all things green, living, dead, and otherwise. Our cheerful company of volunteers proceeded to patiently and studiously undergo a brief training which familiarized us with the finer points of handling agricultural instruments both simple and complex alike. What followed can only be described as a dutiful application of a newly absorbed skill set illustrated by a refulgent enthusiasm to see overrun planter beds renewed as fertile ground for future seedlings.

            The hinge upon which the events of the day turned was a second immersion into solidarity with our less fortunate brothers and sisters through a common meal at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. For the greater part, we all found this return to a relatively unfamiliar territory progressed with far greater ease this time around. The discussions were largely amiable and edifying; they involved encounters with people from all over the continental United States, all of whom had ended up in Detroit for one reason or another, reasons which they gladly shared.

            Following this pleasant midday meal, our merry band carried on to what would be the conclusion of the day’s undertakings at Earthworks. We happily and thoughtfully entered into a facilitated conversation with Shane that deepened our collective understanding of complex and multifaceted issues and concepts such as food justice and food security. Together we delved into questions regarding power and its relationship to food sovereignty. We all felt that we took away from this experience something of value, whether it was a fresh nugget of wisdom or a newfound definition of a complicated term.

            We decompressed from the day’s labors with an insightful reflection centered around the remarkable disparity between different grocery vendors accompanied by jocund camaraderie which together wrapped our experiences in a satisfyingly constructive bow. And so as we yet again find ourselves preparing for another day full of adventure, know of our continued thoughts and prayers.

With love from Detroit,

Detroit ABST 2016